Jury convicts sleeping lorry driver who killed Petersfield woman and her brother

Roger Sharratt, 52, who was found guilty by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court after denying two charges of causing death by dangerous driving on the M11 in May 2014.

Eleanor Mills, 45, who lived in Petersfield and her brother Geoffrey Mills, 53, who lived in Holland, were killed in the collision near Harlow.

Sharratt was driving a lorry when he went he hit the back of a black Jaguar XF car, pushing it into a Toyota Auris carrying the brother and sister.

It burst into flames in the accident.

The court heard Sharratt, of Bagots Oak in Staffordshire, was driving at 55mph using a cruise control and had fallen asleep.

After the verdict, Det Insp Scott Egerton said: ‘This case must serve as a warning to all drivers of the need to rest and take breaks when driving long distances.

‘Mr Sharratt failed to do this and caused the most serious of crashes.’

Sharratt will be sentenced on 2 June.